The Fighter
by ShadowmoonXBlackfire
Summary: When Italy and Romano are fighting for their independence, confessions are shared. They thought it would be happy ever after when this bloodshed was over; but that was swiped away when Romano is killed. Italy, enraged and filled with grief, loses himself to revenge his dead brother, and was to be lover. - Character death, and gore in later chapters


It was war; War for our independence and war for our people. I would fight until I had to die dammit; I wasn't going to be weak!  
"Ve~! Fratello, Fratello!" My brother, North Italy's voice popped out from in front of me, his eyes closed and a huge smile wrapped up on his rounded face.  
"Idiot, what are you doing?!" I hissed when he lunged on me and hugged me tight around my shoulders. At the same time I heard a gunshot, and my instinctive nature came on me. I spun around and threw Italy off me, and looked through the scope on my gun. Noticing it was one of the enemies; I lined up the point and shot with a loud '_BANG!'_ and watched the limp body fall into the dust, blood spurting out behind the solders neck.  
I turned around to check on my brother, seeing him still sprawled on the floor. Guilt clawed at the inside of my belly, so I walked slowly over to him.  
"Italy, are you alright?" I murmured softly, crouching down onto my knees. It was unusual for me to be so considerate towards my brother's well-fare, but something seemed off about it…  
I reached out and brushed my fingers over his shoulder, and he flinched hard and shuffled away from me.  
I eyebrows knotted together as I pressed my fingers a bit harder into the clothing, noticing that it was sticky and wet.  
He yelped quietly and slapped my hand away, making my eyes go wide at him. He never hit me…  
"Feli… where did the bullet go?" I growled, my eyes growing dark when a theory hit me. More gunshots were heard overhead, but I ignored him.  
"N-… It didn't go anywhere, now I'm gonna go and fight, bye Roma!" Feli smiled shakily, scrambling up to his feet and bolting off.  
"Oh no you don't!" I snarled, shooting up after him and charged my younger brother. Us being both Italian, we were fast runners, but with me being older, I was of course faster.  
I grabbed the shoulder that I thought was no injured and pulled him into my chest, crossing my arms around his waist to stop him from running.  
He cried out and begged me to let him go, but I pulled him away until we reached out base. It was a struggle, watching him start crying and screaming for me to let him go, but I held tight. No matter how many times he clawed at my arm or bit me, I kept dragging his feet.  
I shoved him through my tent and sat me firm down on one of the fold out chairs, giving him a look that made him go silent and stop wriggling.  
Leaning down, I grabbed the first aid kit and pulled it out, throwing it on the chair next to me. I looked over to Feliciano, my darker brown eyes set dead on his usually bubbly, chocolate eyes.  
"Take your shirt off, I want to see your shoulder" I growled, watching his eyes widen and his lower lip start to tremble.  
"B-But, Roma, I-I'm fine-  
"Feliciano, please" I sighed, brushing my fingers over his pale cheek "Don't make me force you. Do it yourself, or I will do it."  
He gave up and finally started undoing the buttons on his jacket, so I started grabbing out the tools I would need. Tweezers, gauze wrap, needle, surgical thread…  
"I-I'm sorry"  
I looked up to see what my brother war rambling about, and to my astonishment, I saw that this wasn't the only bullet wound he had.  
There were two on the front of his right shoulder, one lodged on the side of his ribs, two going down his hips… I couldn't imagine his back.  
"Feli… why… why didn't you tell me?" I growled in a strangled tone, and honestly hurt made my heart weigh heavier than before. I was his older brother, I was supposed to be someone he could rely on, someone he could trust to help him…  
I flinched when I realised me being horrible to him for years probably never helped, and made the situation worse.  
"I-I thought you would have been mad, Fratello. I… I chose to do this! Whenever I would jump up to hug someone, or stand in front of them, I was just taking a bullet for him… because we countries can take them! I'll be-  
"Finish that sentence and I'll kill you. Just because we are nations, doesn't mean that you abuse that privilege! Whenever you're hurt Feli, come to me. I'll help you, and I don't want you taking any more bullets!" My aggressive voice ended up as a torn whine, my eyes growing wide just to try and give that puppy look he could always accomplish like it was second nature.  
I scooted over closer to him and brushed my fingers along his cheek, curving my fingers so I could cup his small face in my left hand.  
"We have to stick together, the both of us. I'll always be there, even if I am being cruel. That's just me, Feli, I never mean it" I sighed gently, pulling his head down and pressing my lips to his sweat damp forehead and wrapped my arm around his waist, holding him close to me.  
His body stiffened in my hold, and I was confused to why.  
Did I hurt him?  
"Feliciano, did I hurt you?" I mumbled into his hair, my eyebrows furrowing together again. He didn't answer me for a while, so I pulled back to look him in the eyes. His face was covered by this lose hanging bangs though, covering his eyes. "Feli, tell me- Mmph!"  
I was cut off by a small, warm pair of lips covering my own, pressing hard against them as if they were trying to keep me there.  
My eyes widened as I stared at me brother, surprised by this sudden outburst. He pulled away when he realised I wasn't kissing back, and his eyes flared with worry.  
"A-Ah! I'm sorry, Fratello! That was stupid of me, I shouldn't have-!  
It was my turn to interrupt his sentence now.  
Pulling his face back up again, I knotted my fingers in the hair near the base of his neck and kissed his wet lips again, but softer than what he did.  
Within moments Feli had his chest pressed up against mine and was kissing back with just as much passion as I was using. I felt his small fingers tangle in my thick streaks of dark brown hair, his lips parting slightly for me, even though I never asked.  
With no hesitation, I plunged my tongue into his mouth so that the pink muscles could entwine and battle for the dominance, which of course I won. Just to mess with him, I reached one hand upwards and started twirling his curl between my fingers. An audible moan hummed against our lips and his fingers curled around my shoulders, tugging me forwards so I could lean over him.  
I finally separated our lips briefly before placing kisses soft as butterfly wings across his face, pecking him quickly again on the lips until he was giggling.  
"See why I want you to keep safe?" I panted; resting my head on top of his while he nuzzled into my neck.  
"Si, I see… I promise, I promise" Feliciano murmured gently, kissing under my chin.  
I didn't know where these sudden feelings came from, but I didn't mind. I knew I loved my brother, but I didn't know that it was this type of love.  
I was wary of it, for my brother sake, but I didn't mind at all for my own. I loved my brother, and I felt no shame for loving him like _this_.  
"Alright, let's get you fixed up then" I gave him one of my rare smiles, and as soon as I did his face seemed to break into sunlight. Chuckled slightly, I kissed the tip of his nose and muttered 'this might hurt a little'  
But he didn't flinch.

After all the bullet wounds have been fixed, I kissed each one to make him giggle. Though I couldn't help but smirk when I kissed the ones on his hips, licking them at the same time so he would start to blush and stammer at the same time.  
"Alright, let's get back out there" I smirked and took his hand between mine, entwining out fingers. I hurried out from the tent and back onto the battle field, seeing the sky being tainted blood red like the blood that was splattered on the ground.  
"Good luck, Fratello! Keep safe alright?" Feliciano smiled at me, pecking me quickly on the lips. My lips twitched and I wrapped my arms around his thin waist, holding him close.  
"You remember your promise?" I murmured softly into his ear, nuzzling the side of his head. I felt is hair brush against my nose as he nodded, and I kissed his curl just to make him whimper.  
"Good boy, now let's go make our country proud!" I grinned, bumping my first against his shoulder just before he shot off into the battlefield again.  
As soon as he wasn't looking, my smile dropped. I grabbed the transmitter from my pocket and switched it onto the solders channel.  
There were three channels. One for my brother and I, one for the Italian soldiers. I clicked the button and held it to my lips, muttering very darkly, but loudly.  
"Listen. If Italy tries to hug you, I want you to move him out of the way. If you let him hug you, and you hear a gunshot, report straight to me. Is that clear?"  
I got a series of 'Yes sirs!' and also a few questions to why, but I ignored them. I switched it back to my channel and tightened the strap around my shoulders before I bolted back onto the depressing scene, letting myself grow back into battle mode.

~ ~ ~  
It was getting dark, dark enough that the stars were beginning to spread out like freckles. I hid behind a dirt mound that was built up against the ground, my breath coming out laboured and hard. I had been shot again, but this time it was lodged in my stomach.  
A roll of nausea and pain suddenly exploded in my torso, and I had to lean over so I could throw my guts up into a bush next to me. I ended up doubling over and choking on the vileness in my throat, seeing most of the mess was blood.  
I curled into a ball, and clutched at my stomach, thinking this was truly the end. Sweat started to drip down my skin from the burning ache in my throat, and the agonise pain that was swelling in my stomach.  
Reaching a shaky hand over to the transmitter, I grabbed it and yanked it forwards, already out of breath from getting it out of my belt.  
I pressed on the small button and held it close to my mouth, trying not to breathe too hard into it.  
"Report" I groaned into the microphone, unclicking the button to wait for my brothers soothing voice. In all honesty, I didn't care for the report; I just wanted to hear him while I was huddled over and dying.  
_"Ve! Fratello, we won, we won! The wars over, we won! Come on, you have to come back! We need to celebrate!"_ Feli laughed into the phone in joy and I could hear the others behind cheering and screaming in victory.  
"T-That's great" I laughed, a true smile stretching on my face "That's amazing; I knew we could do it, brother"  
_"Of course, of course! Now where are you, I miss you!"_  
I soon realised that I wouldn't be coming back…  
"Fratello… I won't be coming back…" I whimpered softly, feeling the edges of my vision start to turn black.  
_"Ve? What's the matter? Are there more soldiers you have to pick up?"_  
"… Te amo, fratello…" I murmured with a smile, letting my eyes slip shut.  
_"E-Eh? Fratello? Romano? ROMA, ANSWER ME!"_ My brother's anguished scream was the last thing I heard, before my heart beat finally slowed down into silence, and the pain slowly evaporated into a numb feeling.  
_"… Te amo, Roma…"_

~ ~ ~  
(Italy's P.O.V)

My brother didn't come back that night, and we couldn't search turning the darkness because I knew that someone would get hurt.  
So as soon as dawn broke over the horizon, I sent out with the others to look for him. I was screaming his name, waving my arms and crying.  
Deep down inside though I knew that he was dead, but I just couldn't face that, I just couldn't accept the fact that my fratello, also my new lover, was already dead.  
I just couldn't be true…  
_"Ho trovato, Lovino!"_  
My heart stopped in my chest when the transmitter's static voice whistled past my ear. I grabbed the one stuck to my belt and pressed the button.  
"Dove sei? Resta lì, e sparare la tua pistola." I ordered firmly into the transmitter, even pulling a rough growl into my speech like my brother used to.  
Soon, a gunshot was heard into the distance. I snapped my head up and saw where the gun shot came from. About three hundred metres away, there was a huge mound of dirt and a few, dead bushes.  
"Romano!" I screamed and ran as fast as my thin legs could carry me, tears already starting to prick my vision "Please don't be dead, please don't be dead…"  
Finally reaching the place, I stopped on top of the dirt with a skid, sending a shower of dirt and rubble over it with me.  
There was a soldier there, holding his hat to his heart. Tear streaks were plain on his dirty face, and I looked to see who he was staring mournfully at.  
It was a young man, with dark brown hair, tanned skin, and wide, misty, chocolate brown eyes staring into nothing.  
"L-Lovi…" I whispered, crumbling onto my knees "N…No, you can't leave me… NO!" I screamed at the ground, tears falling thick and fast down my face. Sobs racked at my chest, and I snapped my vision to the solider in front of me.  
"Lasciare" I demanded darkly, my eyes losing all brightness in them. The solider seemed stunned, but he nodded and ran off towards his group, shouting into his receiver.  
I turned back towards my ghost white brother, bile rising inside my throat when my eyes met his clouded ones. Reaching over, I pressed my fingers to his eyelids and pulled them over, to make it look like he was sleeping.  
Yeah… he was sleeping…  
"Come on, Fratello, time to go home" I sniffled, wiping my nose on my sleeve "Then we can go back to Italy and make pasta together! I know you were kind of an ass to me, but hey, we're brothers right? I love you, you love me… Just like we always had, come on, get up Fratello… Romano, get up! _Please!_" I cried into his shoulder, having collapsed beside him. I nuzzled into his neck and tried to breath in the familiar scent of tomatoes and gunpowder.  
I stayed there for a good hour, just hugging myself close to his freezing body and nuzzling into his now grizzly hair,  
Just as rain started to splatter against the ground, leaving dark freckles in the ground, I let my eyes slit open.  
They were sore and bloodshot, and dry from running out of tears. I looked down expressionlessly, seeing the dark, red patch that was stained on Romano's clothes. Propping myself up onto my arms, I ran my fingers over the still damp clothes and looked at my stained skin.  
Blood…  
A feral growl rumbled in my throat, and a shudder ran down my spine. I knew what I had to do…  
Like we said.  
Two halves make a whole.  
And we can't be whole, is one half is in heaven, and one is stuck here. I had to go to him, I had to keep our country safe, and keep my sanity safe.  
_"Or… you could avenge your brother first~"_  
My head snapped up with an evil, twisted glare on my face. There wasn't anybody there, but there was this wavy, black shadow that was standing in front me, almost looking like he was made out of smoke. He had two pink flames in his eyes, and a smile full of white, sharp teeth.  
"Who are you? What do you mean? What _are_ you?" I growled, crouching protectively over my dead brother.  
"Easy, I am _you_; the dark side of you. If you let me take over your heart, little Feliciano, we can kill the man that killed our brother" The smoke purred into my ear, it's hand brushing over my cheek, leaving a mark of soot over my skin.  
"… And after that?" I growled, eyeing him dangerously. All he did was flash another row of dagger like teeth.  
"Easy. I'll kill us. You know, Romano had a dark side to. Now he's gone, and I feel like something's missing to… how about we avenge them both, and then be reunited?" It snickered, curling up next to my shoulder.

What should I do…? On one hand, Romano would be avenged and then we would join him, but then… he would be disappointed in me.  
... He would live with it…  
"Deal" I growled, and the last thing I saw was a flash of white teeth lunging straight towards me.


End file.
